Tancredo had good reason to back off bet

When Tom Tancredo announced in 2002 that he was going to break his pledge to serve only three terms in Congress, he took a lot of well-deserved criticism. He’d been a leader in the term-limits movement, after all, and his pledge had even helped him gain traction in the GOP primary years before.

Recently Tancredo broke another promise, but this time his action was understandable. In fact, it was even commendable, despite nasty words from the man Tancredo made the promise to, Florida-based comedian-filmmaker Adam Hartle.

Tancredo told Hartle he would smoke pot with him if Amendment 64 passed – never thinking it actually would pass. But he backed off the pledge because of pressure from his wife and because of concern over what message it would send to his grandchildren.

Hartle responded by contending that “Congressman Tancredo, a conservative, was fooled by a member of his family who used the classic conservative tactic of hiding behind children. Besides the flag, it’s hiding spot numero uno.” Westword has a fuller treatment of Hartle’s over-the-top reaction, which later appeared to soften a tad.

But what’s wrong with grandpa wanting to protect his grandkids from the spectacle of the old man smoking weed? Like Tancredo, I supported and voted for Amendment 64, but that hardly means I wish to personally promote marijuana use, either.

Vincent Carroll is The Denver Post's editorial page editor. He has been writing commentary on politics and public policy in Colorado since 1982 and was originally with the Rocky Mountain News, where he was also editor of the editorial pages until that newspaper gave up the ghost in 2009.

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